New Orleans Hearing Office - ALJ Approval Rates & Wait Times
Louisiana · SSA Region 06
Approval Rate
56.1%
vs 58.3% national
Wait Time
6 months
vs 8 months national
Processing Time
216 days
avg days to decision
Cases Pending
1,113
awaiting hearing
ALJs
7
active judges
New Orleans ALJ Approval Rates and Decision Statistics
Individual judge statistics for FY 2025. Click any judge to see detailed performance data.
| Judge | Approval Rate | Denial Rate | Fully Favorable | Total Decisions | Dispositions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte A Wright | 100% | N/A | 50% | 2 | 3 |
| Volz III. | 82.4% | 17.6% | 80.3% | 279 | 365 |
| Mark J Mendola | 75% | 25% | 75% | 4 | 5 |
| Timothy Suing | 72.7% | 27.3% | 36.4% | 11 | 11 |
| Monica J Anderson | 51.7% | 48.3% | 37.8% | 360 | 429 |
| Jim Fraiser | 42.3% | 57.7% | 23.9% | 397 | 480 |
| Jeffery D Morgan | 40.2% | 59.8% | 26.3% | 331 | 410 |
About the New Orleans Social Security Hearing Office
New Orleans is a Social Security disability hearing office serving claimants in Louisiana. Operating within SSA Region 06, the office has 7 ALJs who preside over disability appeals.
The office's average approval rate is 56.1%, which is near the national average of 58.3%. Being close to the national average suggests this office's case mix and decision patterns are broadly representative of the system as a whole. Individual judge approval rates at this office range from 40.2% to 100%, a 60-point spread that reflects significant variation in decision patterns among judges.
The current average wait time for a hearing at this office is 6 months, which is notably shorter than the national average of 8 months. Once a hearing takes place, this office issues decisions in an average of 216 days. There are currently 1,113 cases pending at this office. That works out to approximately 159 pending cases per judge.
Across the judges at this office, the average fully favorable rate is 47.1%. A fully favorable decision means the claimant receives benefits from the onset date they requested, as opposed to a partially favorable decision which may award benefits from a later date.
How to Interpret New Orleans Hearing Office Data
Given the significant variation in decision patterns among judges at New Orleans, thorough case preparation is especially important. Since judge assignments are rotational, the specific ALJ assigned to a case is not known in advance — ensuring medical evidence and vocational documentation are comprehensive can help regardless of which judge presides.
With an average wait time of 6 months and 216 days average processing time, claimants at New Orleans can expect a total timeline of roughly 13 months from hearing request to decision. The faster-than-average processing at this office means cases may move through the system more quickly.
Judges at New Orleans have collectively issued 1,384 decisions in the current fiscal year, averaging 198 decisions per judge. Individual caseloads range from 2 to 397 decisions, reflecting differences in hearing schedules and case complexity.
New Orleans Hearing Office FAQ
What is the approval rate at New Orleans?
Individual judges at this office have rates ranging from 40.2% to 100%. Of approved cases, the average fully favorable rate across judges at this office is 47.1%. The national average approval rate is 58.3%.
Which judges hear cases at New Orleans?
How long is the wait time at New Orleans?
From hearing request to decision, the total timeline at this office averages approximately 13 months. These wait time figures represent the latest available snapshot and may fluctuate as hearing volumes and judge availability change over time.